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New York Notes: Ntilikina, Kanter, Dudley, LeVert

October 27th, 2018 at 6:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Frank Ntilikina scored a career-high 17 points Friday in his first NBA start at point guard, leaving the Knicks with some decisions to make, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. New coach David Fizdale adjusted his lineup, replacing Trey Burke with Ntilikina and starting rookie Mitchell Robinson along with Noah Vonleh up front and Damyean Dotson at the wing.

“He ran the show, picked his spots,’’ Fizdale said of Ntilikina’s performance. “He didn’t pass up much. I really thought he got after it defensively and competed hard. The guy was playing against one of those special, once-in-a-lifetime talents [Warriors guard Stephen Curry]. I thought he really did a solid job against that.”

Burke started the season’s first five games, but prompted the change with a 1-for-10 shooting night Wednesday. The point guard picture should become more crowded next week when Emmanuel Mudiay is expected to make his season debut after recovering from a sprained ankle. Berman suggests that the Knicks may be realizing that they won’t get a top point guard in free agency and are revisiting the idea of developing Ntilikina at that position.

There’s more news out of New York:

  • Enes Kanter doesn’t seem to be on board with the Knicks‘ new lineup, Berman adds in a separate story. Kanter is normally talkative with the media, but he didn’t have much to say after losing his starting job Friday. It marked Kanter’s first appearance in a reserve role since being traded to New York before the start of last season. “Coach said he wants me to lead the second unit,” he told reporters. “I’m just leading the second unit.’’ Kanter had a chance to leave the Knicks over the summer, but elected to opt in for the final year of his contract.
  • The Nets traded for Jared Dudley to help mentor their young players, but coach Kenny Atkinson says he’s learning things from the 12-year veteran as well, relays Spencer Davies of Basketball Insiders. “And for the coach too, right,” Atkinson responded when asked about Dudley’s impact on the team. “The young coach, he’s been in the league longer than I have. I learn things from him every day … his spirit and his enthusiasm and he’s a positive dude.”
  • Caris LeVert promises better times are ahead for long-suffering Nets fans. In an interview with Steve Serby of The New York Post, LeVert expressed confidence that the team has turned the corner. “I think in years past, a lot of people were kind of mocking Nets fans, and Nets players and things like that, but I think those days are over,” he said. “We’re becoming a good team, somebody that people have to respect.”
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Five Key Stories: 10/20/18 – 10/27/18

October 27th, 2018 at 2:22pm CST by clarkcrum

In case you missed any of this past week’s biggest stories from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Listed below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.

Three players – Lakers forward Brandon Ingram, Lakers guard Rajon Rondo, and Rockets’ guard Chris Paul – were suspended for their roles in a fight between the teams last week. Ingram, who commenced the entire issue with a push to James Harden, received four games, while Rondo got three and Paul two. After the suspensions were handed down, Rondo called Paul a “horrible teammate” after Paul accused Rondo of spitting on him during the fight. Rondo denied the spitting.

The Rockets have proposed a trade offer to the Timberwolves for All-Star shooting guard Jimmy Butler that consists of four first-round draft picks in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025. However, the T-Wolves are apparently showing no inclination to accept the offer, choosing instead to re-open negotiations with the Heat.

Nuggets swingman Will Barton, who was off to a solid start this season as the team’s starting small forward, suffered an adductor muscle injury in his right hip and core and is expected to miss a couple months. Barton has since undergone successful surgery to repair the injury and he will be re-evaluated in six weeks.

The Pelicans will launch a G League affiliate that will begin play during the 2019/20 season. The team will eventually call Birmingham, AL its permanent home, but will start in Erie, PA while arena renovations are completed. The team isn’t expected to begin play in Birmingham until 2022/23, meaning it will spend three seasons in Erie. The Pelicans will become the 28th of 30 NBA teams with their own affiliate, with only the Nuggets and Trail Blazers still holding out.

The Kings have exercised the rookie scale options on five of their players. Guards De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield, small forward Justin Jackson, and big men Harry Giles and Skal Labissiere will all now have guaranteed contracts for the 2019/20 season. Fox, the highest pick of the five, will have a salary just shy of $6.44MM next season.

Here are 10 more notable NBA headlines from the last week:

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Raptors Notes: Kawhi, Wright, Rotation

October 11th, 2018 at 10:41am CST by Luke Adams

While there’s a long way to go until next July’s free agent period, the early returns on the Raptors‘ risky acquisition of Kawhi Leonard are encouraging, writes Josh Lewenberg at TSN.ca. While Leonard has looked a little rusty in the preseason, last season’s quad injury hasn’t been an issue at all, and Danny Green said this week that his longtime teammate has been “more vocal than he’s ever been” both on and off the court.

“It looks like he feels comfortable. It looks like he feels at home,” Green said of Leonard. “He’s talking to guys, he’s leading by example, in the huddles he’s chiming in, saying what he feels, saying his opinion. Before he didn’t really show or tell his opinion much.”

As Green pointed out, Leonard may feel more comfortable taking on a leadership role in Toronto than he did in San Antonio, where he was surrounded by veterans like Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan, as well as a highly accomplished coach like Gregg Popovich. Whether he feels comfortable enough in Toronto to stick around for more than a year remains to be seen.

Here are a few more Raptors-related items:

  • As Delon Wright enters a contract year, Eric Koreen of The Athletic explores the ways in which the Raptors would like to see his game develop, including an increased willingness to shoot the ball from beyond the arc.
  • Wright could avoid restricted free agency in 2019 by reaching an agreement with the Raptors on a contract extension before next Monday’s deadline. Blake Murphy of The Athletic explores what such a deal might look like. In Murphy’s opinion, Toronto would likely jump at a contract in the neighborhood of $8MM per year, but Wright’s side could be justified in seeking something like $12MM annually. The club’s Fred VanVleet ($9MM per year) and Norman Powell ($10.5MM) deals figure to be points of comparison in negotiations with Wright.
  • After the 2017/18 regular season success of the Raptors’ Bench Mob didn’t necessarily translate to the playoffs, new head coach Nick Nurse and his staff are “aiming for a whole new kind of depth” in 2018/19, says Scott Stinson of The National Post. Stinson expects Nurse to explore more piece-by-piece mixing and matching in his lineup, whereas last year’s team often employed two distinct five-man units.
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Grizzlies Notes: Expectations, Conley, Brooks

September 28th, 2018 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

As the 2018/19 regular season nears, the Grizzlies are eager to show that last season’s disastrous 22-60 showing was an aberration, writes Teresa M. Walker of The Associated Press. Longtime general manager Chris Wallace is pleased with an offseason that saw the club add Kyle Anderson in free agency and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the draft, indicating earlier this week that he expects Memphis to get back in the postseason picture.

“I’m very confident we’ll be back in the thick of things in the Western Conference, and we’ve had a lot of success against these teams over the years,” Wallace said. “We’ve done well in the playoffs against some of the top teams in the West. I think we can continue that after a year on the sidelines. We’re raring to get back into the playoffs and be a real factor again.”

Here’s more from out of Memphis:

  • Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley was limited to just 12 games last season due to heel and Achilles issues, but he has been medically cleared and is pain-free during training camp, Walker writes for The Associated Press. “You’d be hard pressed to find a bigger free agent signing than us bringing Mike Conley back healthy,” new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said this week.
  • Conley isn’t the only Grizzlies player who’s feeling better heading into the 2018/19 season. As Peter Edmiston of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details, there are virtually no health concerns in Memphis at the moment, with oft-injured forward Chandler Parsons also taking part in every session during training camp. Edmiston also passes along a few more takeaways from the Grizzlies’ first week of camp.
  • The battle for playing time at shooting guard for the Grizzlies figures to be fierce , with Garrett Temple, MarShon Brooks, and Wayne Selden among the club’s options. Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com takes a closer look at the situation, observing that Dillon Brooks – who played primarily at small forward last year but could shift more to the two with Anderson in the mix – can’t afford a sophomore slump if he wants to retain a key role in Memphis’ lineup.
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International Notes: Christon, Nogueira, Llull, Melli

September 20th, 2018 at 10:17am CST by Arthur Hill

Semaj Christon, who appeared in 64 games for the Thunder during the 2016/17 season, will play in Israel this season, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Hapoel Be’er Sheva has announced the signing of the 25-year-old point guard, who split last season between China and Puerto Rico.

Christon was part of Oklahoma City’s rotation two seasons ago, averaging 2.9 points and 2.0 assists in about 15 minutes per game. The 55th pick in the 2014 draft, he was waived by the Thunder prior to the start of last season. A former star at Xavier, Christon played in the G League and Italy before coming to Oklahoma City.

There’s more international news to pass along:

  • Lucas Nogueira‘s contract with Fuenlabrada in Spain has been approved, tweets Varlas Nikos of Eurohoops.net. Nogueira’s former Estudiantes club in Madrid had objected to the signing, claiming it still owned his rights, but the team refused to send documentation to ACB. Nogueira spent four seasons with the Raptors, who paid a $650K buyout to Estudiantes to get his release. Nogueira was with Estudiantes from 2009 to 2014.
  • Sergio Llull has turned down numerous opportunities to join the Rockets and is now talking about staying with Real Madrid for the rest of his career, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. “It is difficult to say to the NBA because it is an important League,” Llull said in a recent interview with Radio Marca. “But I have said several times that I am happy with Real Madrid. I want to remain here and win again. I would love to finish my career with Real Madrid. I have a contract for a lot of my year. But my goal now is to play a huge season.”
  • The Jazz, Hawks and Nets all have interest in signing Nicolo Melli for next season, tweets Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. Atlanta and Brooklyn both made contact with him this summer, Cauchi adds.
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Warriors Notes: West, Myers, Jerebko, Cousins

August 30th, 2018 at 7:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

David West was a team leader and legitimate tough guy with well-rounded off-the-court interests, writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. The 38-year-old big man announced his retirement today after a 15-year NBA career that included the past two seasons with Golden State, where he won two titles.

In addition to his longevity, West will be remembered for a decision in made in 2015 to bypass an option year with the Pacers and sign with the Spurs in pursuit of a championship. The choice cost him about $10MM, but West felt it was worth it to pursue a ring. He joined the Warriors a year later and became the perfect veteran leader for a team coming off a disappointing finals loss.

There’s more Warriors news to pass along:

  • In a post on the team website, GM Bob Myers and coach Steve Kerr talked about how much West’s presence with the team will be missed. “There should be a picture in the dictionary of David under ‘pro’s pro’,” Myers said. “He’s one of the most decent people I’ve ever met. His depth of character is unmatched. We are all better for having spent the last two years with him. There is no doubt the best is ahead of him.” Kerr added: “David was a consummate professional throughout his entire career and was a huge presence in our locker room the last two years. The respect that he commanded was palpable every single day he walked in the door and the leadership that he provided to our team was critical to our success.”
  • Free agent addition Jonas Jerebko is prepared to do anything he can to help the Warriors stay on top. In a recent appearance on the Bay Area Sports Warriors Insider Podcast, Jerebko said he’s more confident than ever in his 3-point shot and believes he can help the team in other ways as well. “I’ve been in the league for 10 years now,” he said. “I know Steve [Kerr] and those guys have watched me and know what I can do on the court. I’m going to help every which way I can. If that’s on the defensive end, getting steals or rebounds, whatever it may be, hustling, you’re going to see me all over the court.”
  • The signing of DeMarcus Cousins gives the Warriors a potentially dominant big man once he’s fully healthy, but the team doesn’t plan any changes in its approach, writes Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle. “We’re not going to change our style of play,” Kerr said. “We’ll definitely add a few plays for DeMarcus down on the block. But for the most part, we’re not going to change who we are.”
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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Designated Veteran Extension

August 29th, 2018 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s maximum salary is determined by a player’s years of NBA experience. Players with between zero and six seasons under their belts are eligible for a starting salary worth up to 25% of the salary cap. That figures increases to 30% for players with seven to nine years of NBA experience, and to 35% for players with 10+ years of service.

However, there are certain scenarios in which a player can be entitled to a higher maximum salary than his years of service dictate. When a player who would normally qualify for the 30% max becomes eligible for a starting salary worth up to 35% of the cap before he gains 10+ years of NBA experience, he can sign a Designated Veteran Extension.

A player who has seven or eight years of NBA service with one or two years left on his contract becomes eligible for a Designated Veteran Extension if he meets the required performance criteria.

A Designated Veteran contract can also be signed by a player who is technically a free agent if he has eight or nine years of service and meets the required performance criteria.

However, a player can’t sign a Designated Veteran deal with a new team — only his current team. If he has been traded at any time since his first four years in the NBA, he becomes ineligible for such a deal. That’s why players like DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, and Kawhi Leonard lost their potential Designated Veteran eligibility within the last couple years. Even if they had met the required performance criteria, being traded would have disqualified them.

Speaking of that performance criteria, here’s what it looks like. At least one of the following must be a true for a player to be eligible for a Designated Veteran Extension:

  • He was named to an All-NBA team in the most recent season, or in two of the last three seasons.
  • He was named NBA MVP in any of the three most recent seasons.
  • He was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season, or in two of the last three seasons.

Given the exclusivity of the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards, players typically qualify for the Designated Veteran Extension by earning All-NBA nods. For instance, before the Spurs traded him to Toronto, Leonard was eligible to sign a Designated Veteran Extension with San Antonio since he had been named to the All-NBA teams in 2016 and 2017.

Here are a few other rules related to Designated Veteran Extensions:

  • Even if a player qualifies for a Designated Veteran Extension, his team isn’t obligated to start its extension offer at 35% of the cap. The player is eligible for a salary up to that amount, but the exact amount is still a matter for the two sides to negotiate.
  • A Designated Veteran Extension can’t exceed six years, including the number of years left on the player’s contract. So if a player signs a Designated Veteran Extension when he has two years left on his current contract, he could tack on four new years to that deal.
  • A player signing a Designated Veteran contract as a free agent can’t sign for more than five years.
  • A team can carry no more than two players on Designated Veteran contracts at a time, including no more than one who has been acquired in a trade.
  • A Designated Veteran Extension can only be signed between the end of the July moratorium and the last day before the start of the regular season.
  • If a player signs a Designated Veteran Extension, he is ineligible to be traded for one year.

Here are the players who have signed Designated Veteran Extensions since the rule took effect in 2017:

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

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Northwest Notes: O’Neale, Thibodeau, Collison, Murray

August 25th, 2018 at 8:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

After two years of trying to earn an NBA job, Royce O’Neale broke through in a big way with the Jazz last season, writes Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. After unexpectedly making the roster in training camp, O’Neale played in 69 games and was part of the rotation right through the playoffs. As he prepares for his second NBA season, O’Neale hasn’t changed his mindset of fighting to prove he belongs on the team.

“I can’t rest,” O’Neale said. “I still have to come out here and play with a chip on my shoulder.”

O’Neale has dedicated the summer to working on ball-handling and 3-point shooting, as well as spending time in the weight room. He heads into this year’s camp with a contract in hand, even though both seasons are non-guaranteed. O’Neale will receive $1,378,242 this season and $1,618,520 in 2019/20 if he remains on the roster.

There’s more tonight from the Northwest Division:

  • Coming off a difficult season with the Timberwolves, coach/executive Tom Thibodeau feels refreshed after a summer away from the team, relays Jim Souhan of The Star-Tribune. Minnesota entered the season with high expectations after trading for Jimmy Butler and signing Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson, but the pieces didn’t always fit together well and the Wolves had to win on the final night of the regular season to reach the playoffs. “I know I have to recharge,” said Thibodeau, who spent much of the summer traveling. “Now that I’m back here, I walk around the lake quite a bit. It’s beautiful here in the summer.”
  • The Thunder should honor Nick Collison‘s years of service to the organization by retiring his number, contends an article in The Oklahoman (subscription only.) Collison was the 12th pick in the 2003 draft by the SuperSonics and remained with the team for a full decade after its move to Okahoma City. He announced his retirement in May.
  • Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray has proven he can excel on offense, but he still needs to improve at the other end of the court, contends Joel Rush of Forbes. Rush runs the numbers and shows that Murray’s ineffectiveness on defense negates much of what he contributes on offense.
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Atlantic Notes: Rozier, J. Brown, Nets, Sixers GM

August 25th, 2018 at 6:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

“Scary Terry” isn’t afraid of returning to a bench role now that Celtics teammate Kyrie Irving is healthy again, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN. Terry Rozier became a postseason star in Boston with Irving sidelined after knee surgery, starting all 19 games and posting a 16.5/5.3/5.7 line as the Celtics reached Game 7 of the conference finals. Irving’s recovery will make Rozier a reserve again, but he won’t let that affect his outlook for the season.

“I’m not worried about [his role],” Rozier said today at his youth basketball camp. “Kinda control what I can control. We all got one goal, and that’s to win. We all get love when we win. That should be everybody’s mindset. It’s going to be a lot of fun. If you want to win a championship, that’s what it’s going to take — sacrifice. … We’re all going to have one goal, and it’s going to lead us to the promised land.”

Rozier’s attitude should help the Celtics, but it may not keep him in Boston beyond this season. He will be a restricted free agent next summer, and the organization may not want to make a large financial commitment to another guard with Irving also headed for free agency and Marcus Smart re-signing last month for $52MM over four years.

There’s more today from the Atlantic Division:

  • Jayson Tatum, who is coming off a stellar rookie season, expressed similar sentiments in an interview with Nicole Yang of Boston.com. Tatum was also outstanding for the Celtics in the playoffs, averaging 18.5 points per game, but he’s expected to lose his starting role whenever Gordon Hayward is healthy enough to take over. “I understand how deep our team is,” Tatum said. “I just care about winning and doing what I can while I’m on the floor.”
  • The Nets will probably focus on big men with their two open slots for training camp, according to an article on NetsDaily. Both players will likely wind up in the G League, and Brooklyn’s affiliate in Long Island is short on centers with an injury to Kamari Murphy, a starter last season, and the uncertain status of Prince Ibeh. The story mentions Luke Petrasek and Byron Mullens, who both attended the Nets’ free agent mini-camp this summer, as possibilities.
  • The Sixers are looking for a GM who won’t demand the final say on personnel moves, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Appearing on a podcast with Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports, Pompey said the organization wants to keep the group dynamic in the front office that it’s had since getting rid of Bryan Colangelo in June.
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Celtics Notes: Irving Trade, Hayward, Morris, Brown

August 22nd, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

One year has past since the Cavaliers traded Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, and the aftershocks are continuing throughout the league, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. Irving demanded a deal last summer because he was tired of being in LeBron James‘ shadow in Cleveland. He wound up going to Boston in a move that may have launched a rebuilding project for the Cavs and set the Celtics up to be an elite team for several years.

The final deal sent Irving to Boston in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn’s unprotected first-rounder that became Collin Sexton. The Cavaliers received a 2020 second-round pick as added compensation when they claimed Thomas’ hip was in worse shape than they were led to believe.

The addition of Irving changed the Celtics’ prospects, Blakely notes. It gave them more size in the backcourt and ended the need to compensate for Thomas on defense. It upgraded the talent level and gave Boston a chance to compete with the Warriors if they should meet in the Finals. And it validated Danny Ainge’s decision not to go all in with trade offers for Paul George or Jimmy Butler earlier in the summer.

There’s more tonight from Boston:

  • Gordon Hayward has made significant progress in recovering from a severe ankle injury, but his greatest challenges still lie ahead, Blakely notes in a separate story. Blakely talks to Chauncey Billups and Reggie Jackson, who have both been through long rehab processes, about the difficulty involved. “You’re a shell of yourself when you first come back,” Jackson said. “That’s the toughest part … every player that makes it here, has some type of greatness. So, you can’t be that until you’re full-go again.”
  • Marcus Morris is the latest NBA player to speak out about mental health issues, sharing his story with Jackie MacMullan of ESPN in her five-part series running this week. Morris discusses the trauma of growing up in a violent North Philadelphia neighborhood and said he never sought help until Ainge and coach Brad Stevens urged him to see a psychologist. “I know lots of guys who are dealing with some kind of anxiety and depression — not knowing if they have a job next season, not knowing if they’re going to get traded,” Morris said. “It’s so stressful. Everyone is pulling at you. They want your time, your money, a piece of your fame. … If you have depression, you should be trying to get rid of it instead of bottling it up and letting it weigh on you and weigh on you and weigh on you.”
  • Jayson Tatum looks ahead to training camp and talks about his offseason work with Kobe Bryant in a question-and-answer session with Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
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